Avenue René-Coty runs south from place Denfert-Rochereau to Parc Montsouris. On the official map, the square sits in the Montparnasse quarter, the park gives its name to the Parc-de-Montsouris quarter, and rue de la Tombe-Issoire marks the line with Petit-Montrouge. What matters more to an owner is the kind of home: period blocks along the avenues, and small houses and studios tucked into the private lanes around the park.
Place Denfert-Rochereau, where it all starts
Boulevard Raspail, boulevard Arago, boulevard Saint-Jacques, avenue du Général-Leclerc and avenue René-Coty all meet here, along with smaller streets. On the square stands a one-third-scale copy of Bartholdi’s Lion of Belfort, dating from 1880. The two pavilions by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, once the Barrière d’Enfer toll gate, are listed historic monuments, and the way into the Catacombs is at 1 avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy.
Denfert-Rochereau station serves metro lines 4 and 6, and an underground passage links it to the RER B station. Routes from the airports and stations are in our post getting to the 14th.
Around Parc Montsouris: lanes with a character of their own
Laid out by Adolphe Alphand and opened in 1869, the park is framed by avenue Reille, boulevard Jourdan, rue Gazan and rue Nansouty. Right beside it begin the streets that give the area its feel:
- Square de Montsouris, a sloping cobbled private lane open to traffic, between rue Nansouty and avenue Reille; Le Corbusier designed the painter Ozenfant’s studio-house at no. 52
- Villa Seurat, a cul-de-sac off 101 rue de la Tombe-Issoire, built in 1924-1926 as an artists’ colony; Henry Miller finished *Tropic of Cancer* there, and the sculptor Chana Orloff had her studio-house on it
- Avenue René-Coty, crossing the quarter north to south, and the Montsouris reservoir, built by Eugène Belgrand to supply water to the south of Paris
South of the park, Cité Universitaire RER B station can only be reached from boulevard Jourdan, and the T3a tram stops at Montsouris and Cité Universitaire. Stays linked to the campus have their own post: short stays for researchers near the Cité Universitaire.
How we adapt to these homes
A house on a cobbled lane is a different job from a lift-served one-bedroom flat. Arrival instructions show the entrance to the private lane, the right gate, door or courtyard, with photos where they help. The digital welcome book sets out the lane or building rules and useful local addresses.
- Arrivals by key box or in person, depending on what the building allows
- Cleaning and linen timed to each changeover day
- Small repairs followed up by our team, handy in older houses and studios
- A listing written from what really surrounds the home
Mohamed, who runs Yes Conciergerie in the 14th, visits every home before it goes online. Phone: +33 6 50 48 85 21. Email: ms@yesconciergerie.com. Is your flat closer to Pernety? See our Plaisance and Pernety page.
Frequently asked questions
Are place Denfert-Rochereau and Parc Montsouris in the same quarter?
No. The square belongs to the Montparnasse administrative quarter, while the park gives its name to the Parc-de-Montsouris quarter. Avenue René-Coty links the two.
Which stations serve the area?
Denfert-Rochereau (metro 4 and 6, RER B), Saint-Jacques (metro 6), Cité Universitaire (RER B) and the Montsouris and Cité Universitaire stops on the T3a tram.
Do you look after houses on private lanes?
Yes. We adapt access instructions to the lane and its rules, and add them to the guest’s welcome book.
Photo: GFreihalter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
